What could be worse, Matt Turner wonders, than having to leave your parents, friends and the buzz of big city life for a remote rural school that’s so small it only has two classrooms, and two teachers who are married to each other?
The twelve-year-old soon finds out that worse things can happen. A school project plunges him into his worst nightmare – he has to make a speech in public.
Matt decides to speak about New Zealand’s First World War pacifist, Archibald Baxter.
But is that a good idea in a district where almost every family has lost someone to war?
Industry and readers’ reviews for An Unexpected Hero
What is a conscientious objector and how could a conscientious objector possibly be a hero? ‘An Unexpected Hero’ by LP Hansen is a novel set in rural New Zealand with believable characters and happenings. It follows twelve-year-old Matt Turner’s fears ...
What an excellent short novel this is for young people and a timely reminder that it takes courage to refuse to fight.Matt is in Year 8 and because of his family situation – his father is working overseas and his ...
David Hill, author of ‘My Brother’s War’, winner of both the Junior Fiction and the Children’s Choice Junior Fiction: NZ Post Awards, 2013 NZ: ‘Linda Hansen’s novel An Unexpected Hero is a mischievous, affectionate story of a very likeable, very ...
Ruth Paul, author/illustrator of many award-winning books including ‘The King’s Bubbles’ which won the NZ Post Children’s Choice Picture Book Award 2008: ‘In An Unexpected Hero Linda Hansen cleverly exposes a hidden tale of wartime New Zealand exposed within a ...
Barbara Murison worked with children, people and books from 1950. Member New Zealand Association of Manuscript Assessors: ‘‘An Unexpected Hero’ is one of those books where you only have to read one page and you are hooked. The story is set in ...